Going through the history of Fake Identity
Table of Contents
4 min read
Identity fraud has been a massive issue around the world for years and years. Fraudsters have continued finding new ways and strategies to develop fake documents, making the battle even stronger. To understand the size of the issue of fake IDS and identity fraud, one must truly take a journey into the history books.
The Eighteenth Amendment, which established Prohibition, unintentionally led to a surge in counterfeit identification. The Volstead Act made the possession of liquor in large quantities illegal. Quickly, thousands of speakeasies opened in large and populous cities.
Early days - no booze
The calculated forgery and use of false identification has been around since the early 1920’s which started during prohibition. These Times also know as the roaring twenties was known for the Fight of what was to be called the Volstead Act, which would later be known to the public as the 18th amendment. This was issued in a way in which would disallow all circulation of Alcohol in the United States. While doing so created the need for some sort of way to true useful prevent Americans from consuming Alcohol, because many Americans during this time still had a strong desire to consume alcoholic beverages. When the Volstead Act was put into place underground bars where many people would meet to have illegal beverages such as beer are formed. Because there is such high demand of alcohol, and the only way to be allowed access into these underground bars is to have proof of age and the legal privilege of being legally intoxicated the false identification wasn’t far behind.
Underground networks and skilled forgers emerged during this time who were able to provide individuals with counterfeit papers and documents that looked and felt like the real thing. When a patron presented one of these credible identity cards or false birth certificates, they were virtually assured that it would get them into any establishment in town.
Fake ID came about
As the years went on, a number of limitations were placed on activities by age. Drink, vote, and some other privileges all became the territory of certain age groups. The need for a fake identification card therefore became popular. College students were definitely a big part of the sector of the population that were desperate for a fake identification card. They wanted access to the same activities but were being hindered because they were a certain age.
Developing techniques to create counterfeit identification (IDs) has become a professional criminal occupation. High-end printers and scanners are readily available to ordinary people and criminals, and are inexpensive to purchase. Hence, individuals can print convincing fake IDs on a personal computer and forge the signature. On other occasions, the film that is used on a legitimate ID might be peeled off and replaced with a similar film by a criminal that has practiced the signature of the legitimate owner of their ID Card. Yet another technique for developing a fake id entails the use of the following:
- Blank PVC cards
- Embosser
- Thermal printer
- Film printer
- Mobile scanning device/Film scanner
- Laminator
- High-quality ink jet printers.
However, a fake id that is produced in this particular fashion looks exactly like the actual ID, and would most likely not only cost a great deal of money to produce, but would also take a great deal of time to produce.
Making fake id isn't quite as simple as just printing a card. There are a lot of intricate steps involved with making a fake id. First, all the cards information is collected. Then, an attractive custom card is designed using the collected information on a blank card template. After that, the fake id card template is then printed on blank ID card (cr-80) and laminated with a high quality kit.
The early days of fake ID involved relatively crude methods—using borrowed documents or altering a legitimate ID. But printing technology and materials improved greatly, and counterfeiters soon began producing high-quality fake IDs themselves.
Modern times
When digital technology hit the scene, counterfeits went from being bad, to game changing. Crooks had access to high-end computers and software to make their own bogus IDs that could fool just about everyone. In response, authorities introduced a flurry of security features such as holograms and UV ink that, for the most part, helped them stay a step ahead.
Identification is an institutionalized practice we have come to accept, with our digital and public identities becoming so entrenched in how we navigate the modern world that it seems deeply suspicious not to have one. Like all technology, it has a history, and now a future. From a historical perspective, identification as a form of surveillance has always sought to make society legible to those in power. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth, it was used to authenticate the legitimacy of her subjects by comparing their faces to portraits, and today in many countries children at school are taught business-friendly handwriting so that they will grow up to produce signatures that features more “points of comparison” than “the scrawl of barely literate, Anglicized Chinese coolies.” We know that current identification methods, however, are rife with forgery and fraud. In a recent study published at USENIX Security, researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago tested the custom of highway police officers who confiscate suspected fake IDs in two states by replacing the genuine identification that under-21-year-olds were leaning over to surrender with novel fakes printed on high-end photo paper. More than a third of the 66 teenagers who handed over their driver’s licenses failed to report that they had been duped into giving up a genuine ID; they simply returned to the Illinois Secretary of State for a replacement.
Today’s counterfeiters are a bit more ambitious. They’re taking full advantage of improvements in printing technology, shrewd alterations to biometric ID generation. The digital era has given rise to an explosion in counterfeit IDs being produced and distributed on the internet, leading to an epidemic of identity fraud. At the same time, technology companies have built verification systems powered by artificial intelligence that help businesses and governments spot the fakes and shut down unauthorized access. The two sides battle back and forth, each one adjusting its methods on the fly. Collaboration and updating the laws to keep pace with progress is critical.
Innovation will be at the forefront of how we detect, and prevent, the use of fake IDs. AI, machine learning, and biometric authentication will all likely have a place in the toolbox. The collective efforts of technology providers, industry stakeholders, law enforcement and government agencies will be necessary to effectively reduce the surge of fake IDs. Striking the right balance between strong security measures and ease of use for consumers will be critical for a seamless and effective verification process.
Summary
From the days of the counterfeit bills of the Prohibition era to the doctored holograms of the digital age, fake identification documents continue to present an ever-present challenge. As the problem they illustrate has grown and the consequences of coming up short in combating it have grown more severe and complex, society has also made advances in technology and collaboration that can provide better tools for unmasking identity to at least increase the odds of a fairer fight in the seemingly never-ending battle against falsities.
Myfakeid does not condone the use of counterfeit Identities and only sells novelty ID’s